Istation's exemplary team of content developers, animators, programmers, and advisors is led by a
leadership team that is passionately devoted to elevating the standards of US literacy and education.
Richard H. Collins
Chairman and Chief Executive Officer
Richard (Dick) H. Collins is chairman and chief executive officer of Istation, a global leader in education technology. With over 4 million students enrolled in 44 states and four countries, Istation is impacting teachers and students through groundbreaking learning programs. Istation blends online instruction to help students excel in reading, math and science with animation, game-like interactions, and real-time reporting of student data.
Philanthropy and community are very important to Collins. His philanthropic endeavors in the areas of education, criminal justice, and historic preservation have significantly and positively impacted the greater Dallas community and state of Texas. His experiences in business and education have motivated him to serve on the board of numerous charitable organizations and help thousands of disadvantaged children advance their educational opportunities through mentoring, counseling, and financial assistance.
From 1981-89, he served on Texas Historical Commission and his efforts include long-term initiatives to preserve and utilize historic structures of Jefferson, Texas, including the building of an ecological park to teach students about the environment and how business and conservationists can work together for a better America. Then in 1990-1991 he served as a member of the Texas Board of Criminal Justice, the entity which oversees the prison and parole systems in Texas.
Collins is a proud father of two highly accomplished daughters and grandfather to a granddaughter, born in 2014. He attended Trinity University in San Antonio and is a graduate of Southern Methodist University. Collins has received numerous awards and was recently honored with the SMU 2015 Dean’s Award for Personal Achievement, Service and Leadership.
close
Sandra Kuprion-Thomas
President and Chief Operating Officer
In addition to serving as Istation’s Chief Operating Officer, Sandra is also the President. She joined Istation in May 2008.
A certified public accountant, she has worked in the accounting, finance, operations and the business management arena for more than 35 years.
Her career experience includes tenure as an accountant and manager in the Entrepreneurial Services Group of the Los Angeles Division of Arthur Young & Company (a former “Big Eight” accounting and professional services firm), Controller of the Los Angeles County Office and Western Region Office of Ernst & Young, LLP, Director of Finance and Administration of a legal services firm, and Controller of a general lines and life insurance company.
In 1996 Sandra formed her own professional services corporation, providing strategic planning, accounting, tax, consulting and litigation support services and outsourced COO and CFO services to numerous clients. All of these career positions have afforded Sandra vast experience in business process improvement and strategic planning for various companies.
Currently she also serves on the boards of various for-profit and nonprofit organizations including on the Audit Committee for the National Board of the American Heart Association, on the board of the Calvert K. Collins Family Foundation, Vice Chairman of the Today foundation, a board member of the Dallas Summer Musicals, a board member of the Dallas division of the American Heart Association, Treasurer and Trustee of the Dallas Entrepreneurial Political Action Committee (DALENPAC), and as associate board member of the Cox School of Business at SMU University. Sandra was also a 1997 member of the Leadership Texas program.
Sandra is also a member of various professional organizations and she graduated from Bellarmine College in Louisville, Kentucky with a major in accounting and finance.
close
Bill Lowrey
Chief Technology Officer
Driven by a desire to make a difference in the lives of children, Bill helped found Istation in 1998. He believes that combining innovative technology with engaging content and research-based educational principles is the most effective way to reach and help students from all walks of life.
Bill has over twenty years of experience in software development with a concentration on developing massively scalable, reliable systems that serve millions of people.
Before co-founding Istation, his past experience included cross-platform application development, process optimization, solution consulting, and even a stint in restaurant management. He has worked with large and small companies in the telecommunications, banking, insurance, energy, and health care industries, including GTE, NationsBank, and other Fortune 500 companies.
Bill is a proud Aggie, attended Texas A&M University, and has a degree from University of Houston–Clear Lake.
close
Ossa Fisher
Deputy Chief Operating Officer and Chief Marketing Officer
Ossa Fisher is the deputy chief operating officer and chief marketing officer of Istation.
She has extensive expertise in technology, marketing, and media. With previous roles as senior vice president of strategy and analytics at Match, Inc., and as partner of Bain & Company, she brings a wealth of strategic thinking and operational experience to Istation.
Ossa is active in her community, serving on the board of directors for Uplift Education, one of the largest not-for-profit charter school networks in Texas. She is also on the board of directors of the Woodall Rodgers Park Foundation, an organization that has raised over $100 million to design, build, and operate one of Dallas’ largest urban parks. Ossa formerly served on the board of directors of Rackspace Hosting, Inc. (NYSE: RAX), a leading provider of managed cloud services.
She holds a bachelor of arts degree in economics from Yale University, a master of business administration from Stanford University, and a master of arts in education from Stanford University. She is married with two children.
close
Monika Flood
Chief Financial Officer
Flood joins Istation with almost 20 years of business experience spanning finance, planning, strategy and corporate development. Most recently, she was SVP of Finance and Strategy for a restaurant-chain holding company.
Flood has held positions in both privately held and publicly traded companies and has also served as a management consultant for multiple Fortune 50 organizations. She is a driven, dedicated and results-oriented leader with a passion for consumer industries and transformational environments.
Her education includes an undergraduate degree in Business Honors and Finance from UT Austin as well as a Master of Business Administration from Harvard Business School.
close